parting from Basho sect

1804
42 years old, living at Edo. He has been parting from old sect Kasai and jointing to Natume
group.

Issa 一茶
湧く清水浅間のけぶり又見ゆる

waku shimizu asama no keburi mata miyuru

David’s English
gushing pure water--
Mount Asama's smoke
appears again

sakuo comment
Volcano、Mount Asama has erupted 20 years before. That has brought big damage.
Mount’s smoke is the symbol of anxiety, as well as spring is of fresh hope.
Issa would feel please and courage to joint new group of Natsume.

sakuo Renku
芭蕉派逃れ夏目派に寄る
basho ha nogare natume ha ni yoru

parting from Basho sect
approaching Natume group

return home

1852

Issa
秋風や櫛の歯を引おく道者

aki kaze ya kushi no ha wo hiku oku dôsha

David’s English
autumn wind--
like the teeth of a comb
pilgrims from the north

David’s comment
The pilgrims are traveling continuously, one after another.

sakuo Renku
早く帰ろう寒い日が来る
hayaku kaerou samuihigakuru

return home in a hurry
soon cold day

pure love

1806 44years old lived in Edo city.

Issa
丘の雉鷺の身持をうらやむか

oka no kiji sagi no mimochi wo urayamu ka

David’s　English
hilltop pheasant
are you jealous of the heron's
style?

David's comment
More literally, Issa wonders if the pheasant is jealous "of the way the heron carries himself" (sagi no mimochi).

sakuo Renku
純情の恋あり沼の悪所にも
junjyou no koi ari numa no akusyo nimo

there is pure love
even in the swamp of red light

celebrating by myself

1813
51 years old, living in native village. decided
the trouble of his father's asset .

Issa
鶯に一葉とらするわかな哉
uguisu ni hito ha torasuru wakana kana

David’s English
one leaf
for the nightingale...
New Year's herbs

sakuo Renku
我が幸せを我祝うなり
waga siawase wo ware iwaunari

celebrating by myself
my happiness

groom flies

1814, Age 52
Fourth Month, 11th day, he marries her of age 28.

Issa
麦に菜にてんてん舞の小てふ哉

mugi ni na ni ten-ten mai no ko ch? kana

David’s English
to wheat field, to vegetable patch
the little butterfly
dances


sakuo Renku
婿嬉しくて宙を舞いたり
muko　ureshiku te　tyu wo mai tari

groom pleased
flies in the sky

don't cry so long

1813
51 years old living in his home village.

Issa
粉引に叱られてなくきりぎりす
konahiki [ni] shikararete naku kirigirisu

David’s English
the grain grinder
gives it a scolding.
katydid

sakuo Renku
そう何時までも泣くじゃあないよ
sou itumade mo nakujya nai yo

don’t cry
so long

I should stay at the last inn

1795　
Issa
笠の露眠むらんとすれば犬の声
kasa no tsuyu nemuran to sureba inu no koe

David’s English
under dewy umbrella-hat
nodding off...
the dog barks!

sakuo's Renku
前の宿屋に泊まるれば良かった
mae no yadoya ni tomareba yokatsuta

at the last inn
I should stay
it’s regrettable

mushroom's umbrella

1795

Issa
五月雨や借傘五千五百ばん

samidare ya kashigasa go sen go hyaku ban

David’s English
Fifth Month rain--
the five thousand five hundredth
rented umbrella

sakuo Renku
茸の傘が家に溢れる
kinoko no kasa ga ie ni afureru

mushroom’s umbrella
full in the house

sakuo Comment
Issa showed his special ability to figure play.
Fifth momnth
five thousand and
five hundredth

Those large numbers and repeating give us gloomy mood of long rain.

traveler and robber

1795　33 years old on the journy to West district.

Issa　
藤咲くや順礼の声鳥の声
fuji saku ya junrei no koe tori no koe

David’s English
wisteria in bloom--
voices of pilgrims
voices of birds

sakuo Renku
花に蜂来る旅に強盗
hana ni hati kuru tabi ni goutou

bees come to the flower
robbers attack travelers

men's feeling

1795　33 years old.

Issa
振向ばはや美女過る柳哉
furimukeba haya bijo suguru yanagi kana

David’s English
turning 'round
just missing a pretty woman...
willow tree

sakuo’s Renku
未練かな 男心が影を追う
miren kana otoko gokoro ga ato wo ou

it’s regaetable
men’s feeling
follow after the shadow

Haiku on rain shutter

1795
33 years old on his journy to West district.

Issa
梅の月一枚のこす雨戸哉
ume no tsuki ichi mai no kosu amado kana

David’s English
for the plum blossom moon
I remove
a rain shutter

David’s　Comment　
Issa wrote this during his journey to Shikoku Island. It was inspired by a walk that he took on the shore of the Inland Sea, as he thought longingly about the olden days of haiku.

sakuo　Renku
梅と月いかに俳句に切り取らん
ume to tuki ikani haikuni kiritoran

plum and moon
how make them haiku
placing the frame
、

me too Original style

1795
33 years old , visiting Matuyama city in Sikoku island.

Issa
正風の三尊見たり梅の宿　　　　　
shôfû no san-zon mitari ume no yado

David’s English
I view three masters
of the original style...
plum blossom inn

David's Comment
This obscure haiku is clarified by its prose context in Issa's journal. He was visiting Matsuyama on Shikoku Island, where he saw three hanging scrolls containing haiku by Bashô and two other poets of Bashô's school ("original style"): Kikaku and Sodô. I thank Takashi Kasegawa, president of the Shiki Museum in Matsuyama, for providing information on this haiku.

sakuo Renku
Finding Basho, Kikaku and Sodo who is teacher’s teacher of Issa in the hanging scrolls,Issa was very impressed .

素堂の孫弟子　我又正風
sodou no mago desi ware mata syoufu

Grand pupil of Sodo
me too
Original style

Teacher Tikua Kobayashi

1795

Issa
塚の花にぬかづけや古郷なつかしや
tsuka no hana ni nukazuke ya kokyô natsukashi ya

David’s English
amid his grave's
blossoms I bow...
missing him

sakuo Renku
小林先生　南無阿弥陀仏
kobayasi sensei namu ami dabutu

Teacher　Kobayasi
praising Amida Buddha

David’s comment
This haiku has the prescript, "Praying at my dead master's monument." The editors of Issa zenshû explain that Issa was visiting the tombstone of his haiku teacher Chikua (who died five years earlier, in 1790). The whereabouts of Chikua's grave is unknown; (Nagano: Shinano Mainichi Shimbunsha, 1976-79) 5.62, note 96.

Gone long distance

1795

Issa
蛙鳴き鶏なき東しらみけり

kawazu naki tori naki higashi shirami keri

David’s　English
frogs sing, roosters sing
the east
turns light

sakuo Renku
夜の早立ち朝には遠くへ
yoru no hayadati asa niha touku he

early starting in midnight
gone long distance till dawn

David’s Comment
According to the prescript, Issa set out before dawn with a Buddhist priest, Hôzen, as his traveling companion. He composed this haiku enroute.

soul melt away

1795

Issa
寝ころんで蝶泊らせる外湯哉
ne-koronde chô tomaraseru soto yu kana

David’s English
lying down
with a visiting butterfly...
outer hotspring

sakuo Renku
魂溶けて天地一体
tamashii tokete ten ti ittsutai

soul melt away
heaven and earth in a body

visiting spring

1795

Issa
蝶と共に吾も七野を巡る哉
chô to tomo ni ware mo nana no wo meguru kana

David’s English
a buttefly my companion
through Nana Field
we wander

sakuo Renku
花から花へ春を尋ねて
hana kara hana he haru wo tazunete

flower to flower
visiting spring